“No taxation without representation” seemed far from the Egyptians’ lips during the great famine recorded in these chapters.  The people were so hungry that they willingly gave Pharaoh all of their money for enough food to last them through the year.  The next year, they had no money, but they came to Joseph and pleaded with him to help them and their starving children.  So Joseph accepted their livestock as payment for a year’s worth of food. The famine prevailed yet again, and the people of Egypt willingly gave away themselves and their land to Pharaoh so they could feed … Continue reading Genesis 46-47:Filling the Famines

Today was a good day, but I am exhausted and spent. The one part of today’s reading that stood out to me is how strong Judah’s love was for his brother Benjamin and for his father, and he offered himself in his brother’s place. 30 “And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father’s life is bound up in the boy’s life. 31 If he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die. We, your servants, will indeed be responsible for sending that grieving, white-haired man to his grave. 32 My … Continue reading Genesis 43-45:Irony in history

Sigh.  I just don’t understand Jacob. Did parents back then really play favorites with their children?  Perhaps I can’t relate because I only have one child, but I am a sister.  My parents did not honor one of us over the other.  Maybe that’s just another example of why polygamy is a bad idea. So Jacob sent all his remaining sons except Benjamin, the son of his union with Rachel, to Egypt to go buy grain during the famine.  Joseph had by that time gained Pharaoh’s trust and, for the last several years, was in charge of Egypt’s food supplies. … Continue reading Genesis 41-42:Playing Favorites

The Lord is shaping me in ways I never imagined.  Today was one of those days spent down in the well with Jacob.  I will be so glad to get some rest and am claiming the scripture that joy comes in the morning! Genesis 38 introduced the story of Judah, another of Jacob’s sons (by Leah) and Jacob’s brother.  The legacy of deceitfulness and broken promises continues in this history.  Judah moved away from home and got married.  He had three sons.  Back then, if a man died before giving his wife children, the man’s brother married her and gave … Continue reading Genesis 38-40: Needing some Living Water today

I just re-read the brutal account of Joseph and the well with fresh (and sleepy!) eyes.  I never before noticed that after his brothers threw him down into the empty well, they sat down to eat.  Did you get that? The brutality of such an act is beyond me.  I can’t sit down to eat when I am stressed out about conflict!  It seems so cavalier and callous to sit down to dinner while contemplating the murder of your own brother. Yet despite their devious plans, God stepped in and turned Joseph’s life towards another path.  Perhaps he overheard them … Continue reading Genesis 35-37:The Symphony